


'The Fast Show' Review: Series 2 Episode 1

by AutisticWriter



Series: Meta [5]
Category: The Fast Show
Genre: British Comedy, Canon Dialogue, Episode Review, Episode: s02e01, Gen, Meta, Reviews, Sketch Shows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 07:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10759272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutisticWriter/pseuds/AutisticWriter
Summary: A review of episode one of series 2 of British sketch show 'The Fast Show'.





	'The Fast Show' Review: Series 2 Episode 1

Series 2 Episode 1

Airdate: 16th February 1996

 

* * *

 

Sketches

Open on Unlucky Alf, walking out of a newsagent’s. Alf has just bought a lottery ticket, but he doesn’t suppose he’ll win any money. Although he muses that someone has to win the lottery. Suddenly, a huge hand appears out of the air and points at Alf as a booming voice says, “It’s you!” Alf is so shocked he falls backwards through the window. The voice then apologises and points to another bloke, who looks rather happy.

Fade into the credits, which are now shorter and don’t feature a certain singing character.

We then see three men on a building site, discussing the finances of the building project. One of them looks behind him and spots a digger. Sounding excited and delighted, he and the other businessman rush off towards it.

Jesse walks out of his shed and tells the camera that he’s been mostly eating roast chicken this week, before going back inside.

Louis Balfour smokes a cigarette as he presents ‘Jazz Club’. The James Nance Quartet is meant to be playing a ‘haunting melody’, but their music is actually very fast-paced, discordant and jarring, and sounds as though they are just playing notes at random. Louis doesn’t seem to mind.

A man gets out of his car, only to be approached by Chris the Crafty Cockney. Chris tells him not to park there, and mentions that he’s a one man crime wave and will steal anything, not that the man seems to believe him. When the man turns away from him, Chris steals his wallet and runs off.

Simon the Competitive Dad has taken his wife and sons, Peter and Toby to play cricket in the park. He takes it far too seriously, and takes great satisfaction at totally thrashing his sons at the game, whilst his wife watches from the sidelines.

A group of people are raving at a house party. One man approaches another, and, having to yell over the music, talks about how the music is so loud it could make your ears bleed. The other man mentions the similarity to Jesus, because he bled on the cross, and the other man quickly leaves him alone.

As the rest of his family sit and eat ice lollies, the Competitive Dad is still racing backwards and forwards, counting his runs, oblivious to the fact that they’re not paying attention to him.

On Channel 9, Poutremos Poutra-Poutremos presents a serious talk show. He and Dr Konstantin Bubakles discuss what sounds like the politics of their ‘Republica’, and the scene is rather dull and bland. However, when Bubakles mentions the word ‘inflaytion’, Poutremos honks a horn and the whole studio suddenly fills with people, bright lights and confetti. The end credits roll over this scene.

Patrick Nice is chopping herbs as he tells the camera about giving celebrities a lift on the back of his tractor... “Which was nice.”

In a medieval setting, two finely dressed women discuss serious matters as they walk through the grounds of a castle. Two filthy men on scaffolding start to heckle them, and get offended when the women don’t pay any attention to them. They conclude that the women must be lesbians.

The Brilliant Kid rambles about his topic of choice as he talks to the camera, whilst his background changes randomly. This time, he discusses old people, and how they wear more clothes the older they get, and mentions how old women “cackle, moan about the war and then they die. Fantastic!”

Back on Channel 9, the credits of the programme are still rolling. Everyone is still partying and cheering.

In a tailors’, an elderly couple enter the shop and start looking at the blazers. They are approached by Ken, who, after offering helpful advice about the colours of suits, starts asking about their sex lives. The man ignores him as Ken starts getting more and more graphic. Kenneth joins in, but the wife is obvious to their innuendo. The couple leave, and Ken and Kenneth yell suggestions of how to spice up their marriage from the doorway.

Gideon Soames presents a history programme, and tells the audience at home all about a majestic oak tree and its dark history. However, he then realises that this isn’t the right tree.

In an office, two men are discussing the finances of their business. One of them spots a picture of a monkey in his newspaper, and the two get excited, laughing and making monkey noises.

A police officer pulls over the Insecure Women for driving too fast. But when he asks her why she has been pulled over, she starts lamenting about her clothing and jewellery choices and whether they suit her. The officer walks away, and she shouts after him, “Does my bum look big in this car?”

We then see a trailer for the film ‘Return of the Unpronounceables’. Just as in the last film, they can’t pronounce the names of anything, including each other’s names, the names of dishes in restaurants, what their guns are called, and even the acronym for the New York Police Department.

A man is talking to a stop-motion animation artist, who is showing him the tedious methods involved in making a film of this type. The man gets more and more bored, and eventually walks off, whispering, “Does anyone fancy a pint?”

Ron Manager and Tommy are talking with the presenter in the commentary box. Ron gets confused by the phrase ‘mantle with aplomb’, and they start to discuss Gary Lineker. Ron makes things rather odd when he wonders what Gary Lineker’s face would look like when he’s having sex. He can’t get the image out of his head, and soon Tommy and the presenter have the same problem. The scene ends with them all staring into space, engrossed in the ‘powerful image’.

Jesse walks out of his shed and tells the camera that he has been eating bourbon biscuits this week. He then goes back into the shed.

Janine is being filmed in black and white as she talks about how much she likes Cliff Richard. She decides that, whilst she would go out with Cliff, she wouldn’t take him out with her friends, because they would “take the piss.”

Ralph approaches Ted as Ted sits eating sandwiches in the garden. As Ted stands their awkwardly, Ralph talks about how the flowers in the greenhouse have died. He starts out trying to reprimand Ted for letting this happen to his flowers, but by the end of the sketch he is apologising to Ted and swearing that it will never happen again.

Patrick Nice is opening a bottle of wine as he discusses his son winning the Nobel chemistry prize and their trip to Stockholm for the presentation... “Which was nice.”

A group of nuns walk in a single file line. The nun at the front walks into the wall instead of the door, and they all crash into her back.

The Offroaders are showing off about their next challenge: driving their jeep through rough terrain, including a river. Lyndsay annoys Simon by telling crap jokes, and they go one about Lyndsay’s hat. They drive into the river, only for their jeep to sink, with only the top of the roof still visible.

Professor Denzil Dexter tells the audience about how he has changed the molecular structure of his hand so it can pass through a pane of glass. When he tries it, the glass shatters, and he hurts his hand.

A man rushes up to another bloke at a party, eager to tell him some gossip. He tells him about their friends Tony and Judy breaking up, and mentions how Ruth, who he was having an affair with, was much better. He turns his head and sees Ruth and Judy sat next to him, and rushes off to get his coat.

Rowley Birkin mumbles about something or other as he sits in front of the fire. His story seems to feature such things as someone getting burned at a fireworks display and him smacking his head against a piece of furniture. He grins as he mentions that he was very, very drunk.

The Fat Sweaty Coppers are chasing criminals, and follow them into a warehouse. Their attempts to be quiet and stealthy don’t work, what with them whispering loudly, breaking walls as they lean against them, panting heavily, and crashing straight through the floor.

Then the closing credits begin. As the credits roll, we see three more sketches: ‘I’m Ready’ (a random selection of people standing in a stupid stance and saying “I’m ready”), Rubbish Dad having a rant (Brilliant Kid’s father is stood at a rubbish dump as he mentions how much he hates clowns) and the credits of the Channel 9 programme, which are (somehow) still running.

 

* * *

 

Rating

Series 2 is really where The Fast Show begins to take off. This series introduces some very popular characters (including Rowley Birkin, Competitive Dad and Chris the Crafty Cockney), and also begins to show more depth (and often pathos) in the characters, both new and recurring. And the use of pathos is a sign of good quality TV, because flat characters don’t work in more dramatic roles.

I am prone to overrating things, so I shall resist the urge to give this episode 10/10, as that should only be for my all time favourites. But this episode still contains some truly hysterical jokes and some brilliant new (and old) characters, so I shall rate it 9/10.


End file.
